New Balance ‘Heroes’ celebrate centenary

New Balance, the sports shoe brand, is celebrating its British heritage with the launch of limited-edition trainers featuring images of long-serving employees, as part of a campaign to mark its centenary year.

The brand, which manufactures its shoes in Flimby in the Lake District, is launching three limited-edition trainers called The Flimby Heroes, which will feature a portrait of either Audrey Stewart, Ian Byers or Victor Dixon. The trio are among the company’s longest-serving staff.

Images of the Flimby Heroes will feature inside the trainers as well as on all shoe packaging. The company is making 1,906 pairs of each style to mark the year it was first established. The shoes will be available in fewer than 150 outlets worldwide.

The trainers will be sold from October and are based on previous New Balance designs, all featuring original “retro” styling.

The limited edition release fits into the brand’s marketing strategy, which focuses on its products and heritage rather than using celebrity endorsement.

Alistair Cameron, general manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa, says: “We wanted to celebrate our centennial year in a traditional New Balance way. As well as honouring our domestic manufacturing, the Flimby Heroes highlight how valuable our employees are to us – they are the celebrities of the brand itself.”